In the manufacture of a tire carcass, particularly a carcass of a closed-torus tire, a hole or opening was provided in a carcass base, a pilot plug was installed in the opening and reinforcing elements were layed up about the carcass base and outwardly extending pilot plug. The reinforcing elements overlying the pilot plug end were then manually moved clear of the plug end and urged against the carcass base material adjacent the opening involving considerable expenditure of time. This expenditure of time is wasteful, tedious and sometimes results in a waste of material through error.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.
According to the invention a method is provided for forming a tire carcass having a valve opening. Tire forming material is layed up an a tire carcass base having a valve opening is formed. A separating element is inserted into the valve opening. Reinforcing elements are layed up over the carcass base and separating element. The reinforcing elements overlaying the separating element are moved to a position immediately adjacent the separating element and valve opening. The moved reinforcing elements are then fixed adjacent the separating element and the separating element is thereafter removed from the resulting valve opening.